1975
by MagickRose
Summary: SeverusLily, set in their fourth year then going on into their fifth year. Showing their friendship, both during school and the summer holidays.
1. A Good Day

"Look at the idiot." Snarled James, rumpling his hair in frustration, the gesture not looking quite so layed back as it usually did.

"Who?" Asked Peter, startled by the sudden out burst.

Remus thought he knew. It was a beautiful summers day and they were sat by the lake under their usual tree. It was May; Summer had come early that year, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Even, it seemed, the likes of one Severus Snape, his sixteen year old self was sat under in the shade of a tree with none other than Lily Evans, who seemed to be laughing about something, the pale skinned Slytherin watching her with an amused smile.

"God knows why someone like Evans would want to spend so much time around that freak." James grumbled defensively, anxiously raking his hand back through his hair. He scowled when Remus roled his eyes at his critical words.

"Don't worry, mate." Said Sirius, clapping James on the back. "You know Lily, she probably just feels sorry for him. All she'll ever have for the git is pity."

"Perhaps..." James sighed, "But it still makes me sick seeing them like that." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I don't want to know what foul, pervy things running through his mind when she's all up close to him like that-"

"Now James," Remus cut him off, "You're getting malicious."

"Good!" Snapped James, in the only way a gloomy sixteen year old can. "That's how I feel."

Lily's grin turned to that of concern. "What's wrong, Sev?"

"Oh... nothing." He had often thought that had it been anyone but Lily talking to him, he would of been less than pleased at being called 'Sev', however, he was perfectly content that Lily considered him on friendly enough terms to call him that. "It's just..." He nodded in the direction of the Marauders, who were all gazing fixatedly at them. "I think we should go somewhere else. They don't look pleased, and that never ends well."

"What?" Lily asked disbelieveingly. "That's just ridiculous. Me and you have just as much right to sit here as they do." And to his horror, she blatently glared back at the gawping boys, of which James seemed to recoil slightly.

"It's not you that they don't want around." Sighed Severus.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow stubbornly. "Well if what you're implying is that they don't wnat you around, then I'm afraid to say that I chose to sit with you, and if you go, I go." She finished. James seemed to of heard this, and muttered something to Peter, who functioned as a reliable laugh-track, as always. Lily made a noise of great anoyance, followed by, "That's it, I'm going over there."

Severus looked rather alarmed. "Lily, just leave it! You're far too quick to anger sometimes." But by this point, however, she had already turned and was storming toward them. Severus glanced round at the castle, glanced at Lily, glanced back at the castle again before ultimately muttering "Damn." under his breath and hurried after Lily, almost certain that he was now within minutes of being hexed beyond humiliation.

The mumbles of the boys fell into silence at the sight of the girl stood before them, hands on hips, glaring down at them.

"Something funny?" She asked, angrily.

"I-" James began, but decided against it, resolving that the witty retort he had ready would not display the correct impression to Lily. "No." He said simply, eyeing snape who was situated cautiously by Lily. How pathetic, he thought, as Snape avoided his gaze.

"Come on, LIly,let's go." Mumbled Snape, reaching out to take her arm.

"Oh that's right, Snivellous, you run away." Called Sirius. "Nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose, you coward." He hissed the word, trying with all his might to be as hurtful as posible.

"I suggest," Began Lily, in a dangerous voice that made them all take her seriously. "That you keep your opinions to yourself, Black." She turned her back on them, "Come on, Severus, you're right. Let's go, thay aren't worth it." And with one hateful glare back and James, she and Severus walked off towards the castle.

James put his head in his hands. "That went well." He grumbled.

"I can't stand him sometimes." Lily told Severus, as they headed off towards the castle.

"I can't stand him all the time." He grumbled in response. And he really couldn't. James Potter was so big headed it was unbelieveable. Once, during his first year, after being on bad terms with Potter for several months of attending the school, he decided that, out of character as it seemed for him, he was going to try and talk to him, perhaps get him to back off a little. The thing was, though Severus considered himself about equally as adept at magic as him, at least more academic, by that time it was becoming apparent that Potter was set out to become much more popular than himself, and, though he had no intention of becoming like that, he didn't want to become the object of James' bullying. He sourly regretted his past foolishness. 'Fuck off Snivellous," A few of their goggling classmates had gasped at the swear word, as eleven year olds do. Most of them giggled at the nickname. "I don't want to talk to you." And he walked away, his cheeks red, his class mates sniggering behind his back, a couple of them echoing his new nickname which he already detested. That was the day that made his life hell, for after that he couldn't even walk down a corridor without getting some sort of abuse.

Lily smiled. "I know you can't, Sev, you have told me, many, many times." Severus decided that he actually loved being called Sev by her. It was strange for some one to address him so casually, all the same. But that was the beauty of Lily Evans. She could appreciate people for who they were. She could always, no matter how hard, pick out a good quality in someone. He supposed James Potter had a good quality in Lily's eyes. The only reason she didn't get along with Potter was that he gave people like himself such a hard time.

"I'm sorry if I go on some times." Said Severus. Lily glanced at him. It was often he did that to her, give an inapropriate apology. She wasn't sure why, perhaps he was scared of offending her. He really was the most intreaguing boy she had ever met. She knew him in her home life, of course, but she never really knew him, it was more the other way around. Severus sometimes visited her house, however, he always seemed to be avoiding letting visitors to his house, as if he was ashamed of it. She knew he lived down at Spinners End, which was a bad place to live, to say the least. She had once been down there at night when she was younger, as a dare from Petunia.

Spinners End was a short road slightly out of the rest of the villiage that led to a dead end, as if the river that ran there had cut it off. Even the river was unattractive. Although the water seemed strangely clear, shopping trolleys and old bikes had been dumped in there, and someone had driven a now rust covered car into it, whilst drunk she assumed. Each side of the road was lined with a row of terraced houses, all of which were rather small, and looked an absolute mess. The red brick was stained charcoal black in patches, ocasionally green grime coated the walls indicating a house full of damp. Alot of windows were broken, some of the owners had made attempts to cover the breaks with newspaper, but most had either given up trying or never tried in the first place. The streets were littered with various pieces of rubbish, occasionally the odd bit of ugly furniature who's owner had had no other place to dump it. All of the street lights had blinked out except for one right at the start of the road, giving an eery feel of the road fading into blackness which kept frightened children away. No one had ever bothered to try and fix them, as if the whole place had been forgotten about.

Her parents had warned her away from the place for years, and Lily knew it would be a terrible place for raising children. The houses being cold and damp as they were (apart from when fires were started), and all of its inhabitants seemed to be either drug addicts, prostitutes, criminals, or all of the above. All, it seemed, accept for the Snapes. Most children had seen 'that Snape boy', wandering the streets with his dirty black too-long hair and pale skin, wearing over-large faded clothes, however the rest of the family remained a mystery. When she had mentioned to her parents that Severus lived down Spinners End, they had been extreamly wary of him, particularly so when they saw his appearance. However, when they met him and he acted with nothing but curtesy towards them, it soon became that her mother was fussing over poor Severus, determined that she should show him better care than he probably got at home. This always made her smile, she knew Severus couldn't stand having someone fuss over him. Ruined his image, she supposed. But he never, ever said anything to her mother.

She was woken out of her thoughts when Severus began to speak.

"So, where are we going? The library?"

"Yeah, sure" They often found themselves in the library. Either because they were doing homework together, seeing as they couldn't share a common room, or simply because the likes of James Potter and Sirius Black would never dream of setting foot in such a place. They would occasionally see Remus Lupin, who would smile at her, nod to Severus and then get back to what he was doing. She liked him. "I have something I need to finish up anyway."

When they arrived at the Library, they did indeed bump into Remus Lupin, who entered a few minutes later. He must have left the lake side not long after them. "Lily." He greeted with a smile on his face.

"Hello Remus." She replied, returning his smile.

Then he turned to him. "Afternoon, Severus."

Snape eyed him warily. "Hello."

"I would like to apologise on behalf of James and Sirius." Severus raised one eyebrow. "They like to impress crowds is all."

"Apparently."

"I hope you know they don't mean it personally."

"Funny, personal comments seem to be the basis of their insults."

Lupin sighed, and looked at him hopelessly. "Well, I did try." He smiled and nodded once more at Lily, then turned and left.

As soon as he had left, Lily thumped him lightly in the stomach. "What did you do that for? He was being nice."

"I don't trust him." Was all he had to say.

Lily sighed. "Why ever not? Remus is lovely."

He felt a pang of jelousy, and began to get slightly flustered. "Well, he appears nice enough, but there's something about him. Where's he always disapearing off to at night?"

"We've had this conversation before."

"And one more thing!" Severus carried on. "Potter and Black didn't apologise at all, they would never as long as they lived to that to someone like me... He's only making excuses for them. I have every right not to accept their apology."

Lily was put down a notch. "...Well... I suppose you're right about that. But what do you expect, coming from them?"

Severus never really understood why Lily put up with him. She could have so many friends, do so many more things without him. She would have the acceptance that she deserved. that Severus, though he would never admit it even to himself, longed for. He decided to ask her.

"Well... I mean... Because I don't care about that stuff." She went slightly pink. "I like you." She all of a sudden found a poster advertising some popular new fiction book terribly interesting. "I mean, I like doing this. I'm not one of those people, I prefer this, I mean..." She decided to change the subject before she got into too much of a verbal mess. "Why, anyway? Why else would I hang out with you?"

"Pity." He answered, honestly.

"Pity?" She asked with disbelief. "Of course it's not pity. Severus, ever since we were nine, you've been my best friend. You mean so much to me." She emphasised the word 'so' so much that even Severus was satisfied with the answer. "I can't believe you'd think that!" And with that, she threw her arms around him in a hug. Severus hugged her lightly back. it was not often he was hugged. Infact, he thought he could probably count the amount of times he had been hugged on one hand. All the same, he was deeply flattered by the fact that their friendship meant so much to her.

He would remember this as a good day.


	2. Potions

(A/N) Okay, this is quite a short one, but valid, none the less. Thanks to my reviewers, although I must say, I want more!

Once week had passed since the good day, and Severus woke, sunlight creeping through the dark green curtains of his four poster bed. He hated that. The voice in his head that always spoke in Lily's voice told him it was a beautiful morning and he shouldn't be so negative. However, this was difficult when the hideous, scrawny face of Evans Rosier renched open his curtains fully to ask if he'd seen his tie.

"I haven't, and don't pull my curtain's open like that, it's nice to have a little privacy sometimes."

"Scared I'll catch you engaging in somthing inapropriate?" Severus roled his eyes, and Rosier went on, "It doesn't matter, I'll just nick Wilkes', he'll think he's lost his."

"Great." Growled Snape, giving up on his attempt at a few more minutes rest and sitting up. "Very cunning." And when Rosier didn't leave, "Get lost, you're putting me off staring at me." Rosier scowled.

"Fine." He stomped off to rumble around in Wilkes' trunk, leaving Severus in peace.

"Oh, and don't forget, detention in the astronomy tower tonight."

Severus groaned at the memory, and Rosier smirked.

Lily blinked her eyes open. The sun was glowing through the scarlet curtains on her four poster. She liked that. She glanced at the alarm clock her parents had sent her from their holiday, and saw that she had overslept. She half scrambled, half fell out of bed. With a sigh of releaf, she remembered she had potions first. Slughorn would surely let her off. Slughorn was a young teacher with a ridiculous moustashe that made him look like a wallrus. She quickly dressed, and, skipping breakfast hurried into the dungeons. 

The lesson had only just begun when Lily quietly and discreetly as she could opened the classroom door with a creak. All heads turned towards her.

"Sorry I'm late, Sir." She mumbled.

"Not at all, not at all, Miss Evans," Slughorn smiled. "luckily for you, your potion making outstands your punctuality!" 

A few non-slug-club members shared dark looks, they all hated how they were treated second to Slughorn's little group. Lily slid into her seat beside Severus. She scribbled a note and passed it to him.

'Thanks to you.'

He grinned. He was always doing Lily's potions work for her, it was her one bad subject, which seemed a pattern for Grythindors.

"So!" Concluded Slughorn. "Pair up and set to work on your befuddlement draughts. Uh," his gaze fell upon Severus. "Severus, my boy. You can explain to Lily what she missed?" When Severus nodded, he beamed. "You're a natural at potions also, I seem to recall. Almost at a level with your partner. Almost!" Severus and Lily shared a look as Slughorn turned and busied himself with a pile of papers that needed marking. He looked up. "Oh and Lily, since you don't get a full explaination, take the prepared ingredients I was using."

Lily picked up the tray of ingredients. "Thanks, Proffesor."

"No trouble, no trouble!" He said, loudly. Lily turned and placed them next to Severus.

"How come you were late today?" He asked her.

Lily shrugged. "I just overslept. You know how it is."

"No actually, I don't. I usually get rude awakenings." He grumbled.

"I know how that feels." Lily laughed. "It sounds a bit like living wiith Petunia, being in Slytherin."

"Nothing is that bad." Severus smirked, cruelly.

"Hmm... Fair point. This year's gone so fast, hasn't it?"

"Mmhmm." Was the noise Severus replied with, suddenly becoming very interested with lighting his cauldron.

"I'll be anoyed when schools over this year, we're going on holiday. Two weeks, stuck in a caravan with Petunia! She's gotten so..." She glanced around thinking of the right word. "Malicious, recently."

Severus faultered with what he was currently doing to the potion. "Oh. I... I didn't know." Lily felt a sudden pang of guilt. She knew Severus had a less than happy time at home, and now he'd be stuck without a friend.

"I mean, it's only two weeks..."

"No it's fine."

"Sev-"

"-No, really, I don't care."

"Watch your tone, Snivellus." Hissed James into his ear as he walked past to pick up some scurvy grass. Unfortunately for James, Lily overheard this remark.

"Get lost, Potter, I don't need you stepping in to protect me from my own friends."

James snorted and raised his eyebrow at Severus. "Yeah right. You just make sure you get a bath sometime soon, Sev," He mocked the nickname. "You don't wanna go disgusting the poor girl away." And with that, he made his way back to his desk with Lupin, making sure to knock shoulders as hard as he could with Severus on the way. Severus rubbed his shoulder, and went back to making the potion in silence. Severus and Lily went on in that uncomfortable silence, and James didn't make an attempt to talk to either of them until the end of the lesson, when Lily took their draught up to the front desk to be marked.

"Why are you friends with him, Evans?"

"What's it matter to you? Maybe you can't get it through your thick head that perhaps I actually like him."

"Oh come on, he's all scrawny, and- and hook nosed and... Greasy." Lily looked as if she was going to say somthing in his defence, so he continued much more confidently "and he's up to his eyes in the Dark arts." He glanced over at Severus, as if comparing the Slytherin to himself. Aparently in his own mind he won, because he stood up straight and grinned. "Why not go out with me?" He ruffled his hair slightly in what he seemed to think an impresive way.

"How many time have I told you? No. And deffinately not since you just insulted Severus." 

"Oooh," James began, it reminded Lily of the time she first met him on the train. "I'd better watch out then, it looks like I've got competition." He scoffed, mockingly. "Maybe I'd ought to start locking myself up away from the sun, and letting my hair get all long and greasy."

"Well, it's got to be an improvement on what you are now. Look at you! You're such a... a poser."

At this, James seemed to take offence. "Well, maybe you ought to just go and marry the creepy little bat now, if he's so special."

"Believe me, I'd rather him than you." And with that, she turned on her heal and stormed off back to where Severus was waiting for her. He was taken by surprise when she grabbed him by the hand and yanked him out of the dungeon with no more of an explaination than "Come on, let's go." Of course, he wasn't complaining.

Slughorn chuckled. "Those two... Two peas in a pod." He remarked, to no one in particular.

James glared at the door through which they had taken their leave. In his head, he was making every silent threat to Severus that his brain could process at once.

"Are you okay?" Asked Peter, nervously, as if scared James might turn round and punch him in the face for his concern.

"I'm fine, Wormtail." He turned to Sirius and Remus. "Let's go, guys, I'm starving"


	3. The Storm

James stormed over the courtyard, his hair plastered to his forehead. He took place directly behind a rather large statue of a creature that looked a little like an angel. There had been an unexpected downpour of rain, and ugly black clouds covered the sky. It was a coincidence, really, considering his awful mood. He was dead on time to cross the path of someone he would like to have a word with. And with that in mind, that very person emerged from the direction of the astronomy tower carrying a very large pile of books, his head down, hurrying to get out of the rain. He gasped as James stepped out from behind the statue.

"Who's there?"

"Guess."

The boys eyes widened. "Potter?"

James ficked his wand and muttered something, which was drowned out by the sound of the rain. The other boy had a feeling of sudden lightness in his left pocket, and to his horror realised his wand wasn't there. He almost stumbled, with all the books he was carrying. He fell to the ground, however, when James punched him in the stomach, smashing his elbows as he fell back on them. "I've had enough of seeing you, sliming all over Lily Evans."

"That's what this is about? She can make decisions for herself."

"SHUT UP! Don't even speak. You aren't even worthy of being within a ten mile radius of her, or any decent people." James shouted down at him.

"Well aparently she doesnt think so." He replied coldly.

James lowered himself down and took hold of the front of the boys robes. "That's only because you're planting false ideas in her head, you deatheater scum." He punched him in the face, and stared at the blood that trickled down his cheek. "Look what I've become. You arent worth it." He spat. "I've been reduced to your kinds tricks, beating people up to get what you want. Cowards!" He hit him again. "You're all cowards. You should have been drowned in a bucket at birth, you shouldn't have even been given a chance in life." All the boy could do was to stare up at him in a mixture of pain and fury. "You're not even going to say anything, then?" The boy just continued to stare at him. "You disgust me." He gave him a few more punches to the face, before letting go of his robes. He stood up, and went on "You have no idea how good that felt." He turned to leave, but then stopped, pulled out his wand, directed it at the boys bag and mumbled "Diffindo." The bag tore, and the contents spilled out onto the ground, which seemed to be an inch deep in water.

"I hate you." The boy breathed, regardless of the fact that he was completely at James' mercy. "And so does Lily."

"NO SHE-" James directed his wand at the boys face. "-DOESN'T!" He screamed, mad with rage. "Aguasempra!" He roared, and the boy choked, aparently unable to breathe, coughing up water. James left him like that for a cruelly long amount of time coughing and flailing about, before muttering the counter curse. James kicked him in the side before storming off, careful to tread on his fingers and as many books as posible.

The boy remained there for a few seconds before making an attempt at standing up, falling back to his knees. "HOW DO YOU THINK SHE'LL LIKE YOU NOW, POTTER!?" He screamed after him.

James stopped in his tracks. He turned, a look of realisation on his face. He had gotten so carried away he hadn't stopped to realise... He slowly walked back towards the pitifull boy who was panting and glaring at him.

"What?" The boy asked him. "Come for another round? Go on then, kick me while I'm down."

James pointed his wand at him, expresionless.

"What?"

"Obliviate."


	4. Chocolates from Darrell

Lily's curtains were wrenched open. "Lily! Lily, get up!"

She covered her eyes with her hand, the sunlight blinding her. "What?!" She snapped, irritably.

"It's Professor Slughorn, Lils, he wouldn't tell me what it was about, only that it was extreamly urgent and you had to get out there right now."

She groaned. It was probably something to do with one of his little parties. She was a little surprised that he would come to see her this time in the morning though. "Can't it wait?" She grumbled.

"Seriously, Lily, it looked like something really bad had happened. If I were you, I'd get there right now."

Lily was feeling a little more curious now. "He's outside the portrait hole? He's waiting for me?"

"Yes, pacing backwards and forwards, you should see him Lils, he looks a mess, I tell you."

She rolled out of bed. "Okay... But if this is a waste of time I'm going to kill the both of you!" She pulled on her dressing gown and slippers and hurried through the common room and out of the portrait hole.

"Oh, Miss Evans, thank goodness you're here!" Cried Proffesor Slughorn, still in his night clothes. He did indeed look a mess. He looked rather pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Dreadfull buisness... Not seen anything like it before... You were the only person I could think to come and tell, Miss Evans, peas in a pod, peas in a pod." He was again pacing back and forth.

"Proffesor, do you think you could tell me what's going on?" She asked politely, a note of urgency in her voice.

"Oh! I, yes, of course. Sorry, Miss Evans, I must apologise." He ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I'm afraid... Oh dear... I am terrible in these situations... I think perhaps it's best if you come with me and see for yourself."

"I-" Began Lily, astounded. "Where...?"

"The hospital wing. As I said, terrible buisness, terrible buisness." And for the first time in the conversation, Lily felt the need to panic.

Now, Lily only had one close friend in Slytherin, and, with Slughorn being head of Slytherin house, it shouldn't have surprised her who she saw, lieing unconcious in the hospital bed. However, despite it being so logical, she never prepared herself for the idea that Severus Snape would be the object of this panic.

"Oh, my god."

"As I said, terrible buisness."

"I- What happenned? When did they find him?"

"Well, we don't know for sure, but we found him lying by the Whomping Willow, we can only assume that's the cause-"

"Our gameskeeper found him not long ago. He'd been out cold for a while. He only just got here." Madam Blythe told them. "God knows what he was doing there in that weather last night."

"He's going to be alright isn't he?"

"Well, he's got a broken rib, and a few fingers, which I can mend in a second, the same for the cuts and bruises... It's all the water he managed to inhale that is going to be the worst for him. Nothing permanent, of course, under my care. But I daresay he'll be in some discomfort for a while." Lily Breathed a sigh of relief. "He should have been brought straight to me. I wouldn't like to have his lungs for the next week or so. They had so much water in them, you see. Now, if you'll take a seat, I'd better get this healing taken care of.

Lily sat and watched as Madam Blythe circled Severus, curing him of his various ailments. First, with a spell she quickle healed his broken rib so she could clear his lungs, again, with a spell, which caused the unconcious Severus to cough and splutter an awfull lot as the water came out of his lungs. Finally, she applied a paste to his cuts, which began to instantly heal. He was still looking worse for wear however, as she left his bruises to heal naturally.

"He should wake up in a few hours, and then I'll give him something for the pain, but I prefer to leave mere bruises to heal themselves. You can sit with him for a while, it's Saturday, and I daresay a friendly face will be greatly appreciated by young Mr. Snape."

"Okay, thankyou." Madam Blythe left, and Lily gazed upon Severus' bruised face, he had a rather nasty looking black eye. She took hold of his hand and squeezed it."

"Well, I'll- I'll just leave you alone." Mumbled Slughorn, making Lily jump. She had forgotten he was there.

"Okay" He left and her eyes returned to Severus. What had he been doing at the Whomping Willow last night? The only explaination she could think of was he had been attempting to discover what exactly was happenning with Lupin. She didn't like to interfere with his buisness, so she didn't ask, but a few times Severus had mumbled something about the tree after one of his rants about Remus. "You stupid boy, Severus." She said. feeling a lump in her throat. She squeezed his hand again.

It was about two hours before Severus felt himself stirring. He openned his eyes, slowly, but quickly closed them again. Surely, he had somehow died in his sleep and had gone to heaven. He opened his eyes again, and found that he hadn't, Lily truely was sat by his bed.

"Oh, Severus, thank god." She had the look of a person who had been worrying for several hours. He looked around and saw that he was infact in the hospital wing. It was the first time he had woken up here, not being a reckless idiot like Potter. Thinking of it, why was he here? He couldn't remember. All he felt was a gap in his mind where he felt the memory should be. Perhaps he had amnesia? Yes. That was probably it. Whatever had happened, he certainly felt worse off for it. He had a terrible pain in his chest, not to mention his sides, hands, legs, various other places. Also, to top it off, he had a splitting head ache which one usually would only get in the middle of winter.

"What happened?" He finally asked her, rubbing his head.

"W-we don't know. Hagrid found you, by the whomping willow."

"What was I doing there?" The only reason he had ever gone to the whomping willow was when he was investigating the strange activities of the Marauders, and it seemed unlikely that he'd be doing that during exam time...

"You tell me." She said, a little less sympathetic than her voice had since sounded.

"You don't think I was following Lupin?" He stared at her incredulously. "Lily, I... I wasn't." He realised that wasn't a reasonable excuse, and continued, "Look, I... You know my idea, anyway, and it's not the full moon." And anyway, hadn't he had a detention that night?

"Hmm." Said Lily. She didn't look fully convinced, but seemed to decide to let it drop none the less. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh you know, like I've been sent through your Mums washing machine. Nothing bad." She smiled at his attempt of humour, then seemed to remember something. She blurted out a loud 'ooh!' jumped up and went into an office, soon to reemerge in the company of Madam Blythe.

"Okay Severus, I've got a potion here that'll stop the pain." She poured some of the thick pink liquid into a small cup, and handed it to him. "Make sure you drink that all down." He glanced skeptically at the potion. Maybe it was the colour, but he didn't like the look of it. However, since Lily and Madam Blythe were watching him expectantly, he downed it in one. He had been right; it tasted like grass. She watched him approvingly. "That's right. You'll have to drink some more at about two o'clock, other than that, you should be free to go late this afternoon." She gave him a smile and turned and left to treat a young Ravenclaw boy who had just been brought in; his ears seemed to be growing at an uncontrolable rate and he was bright red in the face. Severus wondered if the boy had strayed unfortunately close to James Potter as he himself had done on many occasions. If that were the case, he even felt a little sorry for the boy.

She turned to leave, but then stopped in her tracks and turned to him. "Oh yes, Snape... I must ask you, how did you end up in this state?"

"I don't remember."

"Are you sure? Nothing? Think really hard."

Severus frowned. As if he wouldn't have thought really hard already. Severus Snape hated a few things, James Potter and his Father being a couple of them, another example was that he hated the feeling he was being patronised. "I remember nothing." He grumbled at her, making an attempt not to act too ungratefull.

"Perhaps a blow to the head... I wouldn't be surprised, the state you were brought to me in. I daresay it'll come back to you, sometime today. Make sure you tell me when it does, I have to fill out a form for you." And with that, she turned and left.

"What time is it?" He asked Lily.

"About nine."

"Okay." He thought for a second. "When did you get here?"

"Just after they brought you in." Severus nodded and looked down. He for the first time ackowleged that he had been changed into blue and white striped pyjamas and glanced around in a panic. Lily Giggled at him. "Don't worry, they didn't strip you down infront of me, you were changed before I got here." Severus sighed in relief. He had always been self concious, with his pale skinny self. He knew he'd feel awful for Lily to see him like that.

It was at that moment that Mary MacDonald, Lily's Hufflepuff friend, came bounding into the infirmary. Upon seeing Lily she cried dramatically, "Oh, Lily! I've just been speaking to Sarah and she told me that Maggie told her that Jennifer Brown was saying you were taken to the hospital wing because one of your friends had been rushed in," She took a quick breath. "oh you must be feeling terrible!"

She said all of this very fast.

She didn't even cast a glance to Severus. "Of course, I had to come and make sure you were okay, of course I know better than anyone how worried you can be in these situations. Do you remember when Neil Lynch got chicken pox? He was my boyfriend at the time, not that that was one of my cleverer ideas, I mean if you look at him now..."

And so she carried on. Lily, for now, had stopped listening. She was looking apologetically at Severus, who was having great difficulty distinguishing one word Mary said from another.

"...of course," She continued, "his twin Ben went the same way and not to mention, well, you know the rumours about him and I'm certain they're true, you know," At this point Mary found it apropriate to let her wrist fall limp, presumably as a reference to poor Ben Lynch's sexuality.

Lily stared at her for about ten seconds. "...Oh." Was all she could think to say.

Mary seemed to find this her cue to continue. "I brought you these, Darrell Hankock gave me them for Christmas, but I dont want them because you know, knowing him he probably filled them with love potion or something, everyone knows he fancies me." She let out a loud, high pitched laugh.

"Oh... How... Er..." Lily wasn't sure what to say. "Thankyou, Mary." She accepted a large box of Chocolates from her.

Finally, Mary looked to see who it was in the hospital bed. "Oh, it's you is it?" She said in distaste.

"...Yes."

Mary turned back to Lily. "So, as I was saying, there are alot of things to indicate such things in Ben, for one thing..."

Severus endured about half an hour of hearing about Ben Lynch's various questionable escapades, before finally Mary decided to leave, as she had to go and meet with a sixth year Ravenclaw boy. As soon as the door slammed behind her, Severus raised one eyebrow to Lily, who snorted with laughter.

"Sorry about her, she's good at heart... I think." Lily was looking slightly apologetic.

"Hmm... I didn't actually catch a word of what she said." He considered. "Well... I did hear something about Ben Lynch and Conner Kelly, but I'm trying to forget that, thanks."

She laughed, and pulled out the chocolates. She pulled them open and waved them infront of his face. "Want some of these?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to fall madly in love with Darrell Hancock, thank you very much."

"Really?"

"Really." He concluded.

"Because that would be hilarious." She grinned cheekily at him, pulled open one of the chocolates and held it infront of him. "You're the one topping the year in potions. Is this a love potion?"

He stared at it. "It looks safe to me."

Slowly making their way through the large box of chocolates and talking about various things. It was the most time they had spent together in ages. Usually, Lily would get whisked away by her many Grythindor friends. Infact, when Madam Blythe came to tell them that Severus was free to go, they had quite forgotten the time. "Are you sure you feel up to it, dear?" She asked, concerned. "You still look terribly pale."

Lily giggled, Severus looked rather sour and mumbled something about how that was how he always looked.

"Oh." Said Madam Blythe, Turning slightly pink. "And you're sure you don't remember anything?"

"No."

"Well... You go behind that curtain over there and get changed. Here you are." And out of no where, she seemed to pull out his clothes, now clean with no rips in them whatsoever.

"Thanks."


	5. Moony's Question

AUTHORS NOTE: Thankyou, thankyou, to all my reviewers! I really appreciate it when I and see that more have been submitted. I love you all! From what I've read of them, it seems everyone despises a certain dark haired bespectacled boy we all know. (Yes, that is James, to the slower of you). And I agree, that when he was a teenager he was an absolute ignorant prat. I don't like him until he gets older, where I believe he matures. I still feel resentful to how he was even then.

I love Remus Lupin, however, which is what made writing this chapter bearable for me!

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"James. James." Lupin persisted to the newspaper which James was holding up infront of his face, trying not to hear him.

"James?" Squeeked Peter, who was sat next to him, only making it up to his shoulder.

"What?" James snapped at him.

Peter retracted a little. "Moony want's to talk to you." He squeeked.

"I know, Moony want's to talk to me, but I know what he's going to say."

"What will he say?" Asked Peter, confused, only to be ignored by both the boys.

Remus snatched the copy of The Daily Prophet from him. "James, this is serious."

"What's serious?" Peter piped in.

"And I notice you wait for Sirius not to be here for you to start attacking me?"

"Yes, because I know that it would be imposible to be able to talk to just you were he around."

"What's going on?!" Cried Peter, frustrated.

"We can't talk about it here anyway." James told him, yanking his newspaper out of Lupin's grip.

Remus glanced around. James did have a point there, he had to admit. They were, after all, sat in the great hall eating breakfast. Sirius was away in a divination examination. Divination exams were done on a one on one basis, and people were called alphabetically. Sirius, his last name being Black, was one of the first to be called. "Fine."

Remus scooted under the table, re-emerging moments later next to James on the opposite side. "Hey!" Complained James, as Remus pulled him off the bench. Peter looked startled.

"Sorry Wormtail, we'll be right back, I just have to talk to James about something rather trivial."

Peter wasn't quite sure what trivial meant, so he decided that it was probably best he was left behind. He shrugged and turned to talk to a first year who seemed quite pleased with himself that a fifth year wanted his company.

"Remus, will you stop treating me as some sort of kid!" James shouted at him as Remus shut them into a deserted charms classroom.

"I'm not treating you like a kid!" Remus told him, exasperated. "Although you're starting to act like one."

"Who are you to judge that?"

"James." Remus sighed. "I'm not trying to get at you, I'm your friend, I am trying to talk to you about this."

"Fine." James gave up. "What?"

"Was it you who beat up Snape?"

James looked around guiltily. "If I tell you the truth you've got to promise not to tell anyone, not even Sirius."

This gave him away quite clearly. However Remus wanted to hear it from him. "I promise."

James sighed. "Yeah, it was me."

"I thought so." Remus told him. He put his head in his hand, then looked up at him. "James, what was running through your mind? What if he'd of died, for gods sake?"

James stood up. "Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't of killed him! I didn't even mean to hurt him as much as I did, it just got out of hand."

"I never said you'd of killed him on purpose, James, but accidents happen." James scowled at him, and sat back down. "What were you thinking? Why did you do this?"

James leaned forward so Lupin couldn't see his face properly. He noted that his hair had started to fall neat. "Lily."

"Oh." Said Lupin. "Care to tell me about it?" James had had too much on his mind today to think about rumpling his hair. He shifted defensively. "I mean, if you don't want to tell me, it's none of my business."

"No, no, it's fine." At this, he ran his hand backwards through his hair, making it stand up. Remus thought it looked quite bizare, he hoped it wasn't a new look of his. "It's nothing... I just... I can't stand seeing her spending so much time with someone like that, nothing good can come of it, she's going to end up hurt, mark my words."

"What gives you that impression?"

"Oh, come on, Moony, Severus Snape is so into the dark arts he'll end up destroying everyone who get's close to him."

"And if you're trying to help Lily," James nodded. "then it's not working beating up her friends, that's only going to make her hate you."

James flinched, that was exactly what Snape had said yesterday. "...Well, it's not like I'm planning to do it again, as I said, last night just got out of hand, he just made me so angry, just looking at him."

"Alright... I won't say anymore about it, there's no point."

"Thanks."

Lupin gave him a grim smile. "Let's go and see if Peter's made a friend."


	6. The Hogwarts Express

AUTHORS NOTE: How strange! After reading the DH and hearing the mention of Spinners End, I had forgotten about how it was described in book 6, however I re-read that part this morning, and discovered that my description is shockingly accurate. How strange.

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A few weeks had passed since Severus had woken up in the hospital wing, and he still for the life of him couldn't remember what had happened. Not much use now, he thought. To his utter devistation, he was infact on the Hogwarts express, speeding back to London uncontrollably. He was sat in a compartment with Lily, as he always did on the train. Also sharing the compartment was a young outcast looking Ravenclaw second year, who was writing almost agressively on a long role of parchment, it looked as though he was close to finishing his holiday work before they had begun. A fine acheivement, Severus thought to himself. He himself hadn't even glanced at his since he got it, he supposed he was saving it for when he was back in Spinners End so he had an excuse to stay shut up in his room. Severus and Lily talked idolly of things to do in the holidays, things they would miss, and general small talk. The boy stayed almost silent except for one occasion when he finally tore his eyes off the parchment to ask them for the sixth use of dragons blood.

Severus would have been quite happy to continue the journey like this, however, after about an hour, in pranced non other than Sirius Black, who sat immediately down next to him, facing Lily. Severus looked at him in dislike, and moved closer to the window.

"Lily."

"...Yes?"

"May I say, you look lovely."

Lily sniggered and roled her eyes at this attempt to get round her, and Severus looked particularly sour. "What do you want?"

Sirius sighed, as if this was all a great burden to him. "James want's to know if-" But what James did want to know, they never found out. There was a mangled kind of squark and the compartment door slid so forcefully shut it rebounded back open. Even the second year Ravenclaw looked up from his History of Magic essay to observe this new commotion. Red in the face, there squatted James Potter himself, who appeared to have lost his balance at the sound of his name. He glared at Sirius, who mouthed 'what?' back at him. James stood up, took a moment to compose himself before grinning at Lily, then looking at Severus with an expression of deep distaste.

"Sorry to interupt," Lily snorted, and James grinned stupidly at her as if he had told a great joke. "Sirius, I... I can't find your- I mean, Remus wants you." 

Sirius gave a lop-sided grin to Lily. "Who doesn't?" He informed her, before standing up and strolling out magestically, followed by James, who looked equally as in love with himself.

"That liar." Grumbled Severus. He was certain that James had infact wanted his little side-kick to find something out anonymously.

"Yes, well..." Lily sighed, and they fell into silence for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the scratching of the second year's quill, who had resumed scribbling furiously at his essay.

Infact, they were taken completely by surprise when the second year lept out of his seat and bolted for the door, it took them a few moments to realise that the old lady with the sweet trolley had arived.

"Want anything?" Asked Lily, standing up. "I'm starving."

Severus thought he might as well, he hadn't eaten all day. He followed Lily, who bought several Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice wands, bags of Berty Botts Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs and a packet of Drooble's Best Blowing Bubble Gum. Severus asked for a Pumpkin Pasty, handed over a few sickles then slumped down back in his seat opposite Lily, the second year Ravenclaw (who had a packet of Berty Botts Every Flavour Beans, and for some reason around ten packets of Droobles Best Blowing Bubblegum) stood up to let him past.

"Is that all?" Lily frowned skeptically upon the Pasty. "God, Sev, no wonder you stay so skinny." She thrust a Cauldron Cake and a couple of Chocolate Frogs at him, which he grudgingly accepted. "And I want you to eat those, before you contract into nothingness."

Severus laughed slightly and took a bite of his pasty. "Fine." Lily watched him approvingly, and he began to feel a little self concious.

She tore her eyes off him finally to pull out a bag of Every Flavour Beans. She examined one, her eyes narrowed. "I don't like the look of this one, you can have it."

Severus shuck his head. "And you always seemed such a nice, caring soul." He examined the bean curiously, before deciding to throw caution to the wind and biting into it. Lily giggled as he screwed up his whole face. "That's disgusting," he declared. "It tastes like after shave or something." He quckly took a bite out of one of Lily's liquorice wands to get the taste out of his mouth.

"It probably is." She said. "And what's wrong with the food I already gave you?"

Severus shrugged, "Sorry." and picked up one of the chocolate frogs, biting off its head before it managed to escape. He glanced at the card which was [[[A RARE ONE RON DIDNT HAVE with vague interest, and read that she apparantly had [[[DESCRIPTION. The young Ravenclaw, who had shifted in his seat, stared at the card with longing, and Severus handed it to him boredly, he had no use for it. The Ravenclaw gasped with delight and thanked him repeatedly before going back to his book, over which they heard a bubble pop every now and again. He felt particularly pleased with himself when Lily smiled fondly at him, presumably considering it to of been an act of generosity.

It was a few hours later before anyone bothered them again, this time, three Gryffindor second years stood in the doorway. The young Ravenclaw looked up in horror.

"Not behind with your homework I hope, Marcus?" The apparant leader of the group asked, smirking arrogantly. Severus was instantly reminded of Potter, and regarded the little brat with dislike. He was slightly stumpy looking, with brown hair, blue eyes and alot of freckles He tended to slur his words.

"I- No- I mean-" Marcus spluttered.

"Y-y-you what?" Asked another one of the Gryffindors, to appreciative guffaws from the other two. This one had messy ginger hair, and had knotted his tie so short that Severus doubted that it could be called a tie at all.

Lily shifted into sight of the three, who silenced. "What were you saying?"

The one who reminded Severus of James Potter looked at her hesitantly, before apparently deciding she wasn't quite impressive enough. "We were just having a go at Marcus, here, actually. Not that it's any of your business."

Severus raised his eyebrows. He was sure he had been much more intimidated by older students when he was that age. "Get out of this compartment, you little idiots." He wasn't particularly concened for the boy called Marcus, however he did frown upon mere second years talking to Lily like that.

"Oooh, don't go setting your Slytherin boyfriend on us." The ginger one squeeked.

"Yeah, he might set you know who on us!" Piped up the third and final Gryffindor, who had slightly long blonde hair. The other two sniggered, but silenced when Severus stood up and pointed his wand at them.

"You don't have a clue on anything, you stupid little midgets." His voice had gone dangerous now. "Get out of this compartment now, before I curse you all beyond recognition."

They did just that, and as soon as they left, Lily turned to Marcus. "Are you alright?" She asked him immediately.

"Yeah- I- I'm fine." He told her. "Thanks." He said meekly to Severus, who nodded. Rescuing second years from bullies did nothing for his image. He was cheered up, however, when Lily gave him that fond smile that always made him feel rather pleased with himself. He knew that normally he would call himself an idiot for letting his emotions give him a false feeling of self worth, however now he was quite content with it, false or not.

He stayed in high spirits until the red and grey of brick and stone as they arrived in London. He sighed. "I suppose we ought to get ready to get off the train." He groaned, shrugging off his robe to reveal his drab mis matched muggle clothes. He shoved it into his rucksack, along with a few cauldon cakes Lily shoved at him which haddn't been eaten. They both pulled their trunks from the baggage rack, and were just helping the boy named Marcus to retrieve his when the train slowed to a stop.

They walked into the corridor to join the stream of students shuffling towards the exit. Once off the Hogwarts express and onto platform nine and three quarters he quickly scanned the crowd of parents. Lily's Mother was there, looking around for her daughter. Her Father and sister weren't, however, and to his dismay, neither was his Mother, which meant, and there could be no other explaination for it, his Father had come to pick him up. His Mother would have picked him up straight from the platform, however, his Father, being a muggle who despised all things magic, would rather set foot in a snake pit (a muggle snake pit, of course). He supposed he would be waiting somewhere around platforms nine and ten.

"Lily!" Cried Lily's Mother, running towards her.

"Hi Mum!" Lily smiled. Lily's mother seized her in a tight hug.

"It's great to see you back." Mrs. Evans told her, smiling. Looking up from Lily's shoulder, she spotted Severus. She turned on him.

"Sev'rus!" Severus froze. "I haven't seen you in ages!" And too his upmost horror, she grabbed him in a hug too. When she finally let go, she turned and consulted them both. "Let's get off this platform shall we? Then we can say our goodbyes properly." She beamed. "Your Dad and Petunia are waiting," She told Lily. "you know how Petunia is, a bit worried about coming through the barrier I think, bless her." Lily nodded, and as they turned to make their way into the muggle world, she was rained upon by well wishers for her holidays.

"Bye Lily!"

"See ya, Lils!"

"Have a great holiday!"

"Lily!" Severus scowled as he heard Potter's voice. Lily turned to see James. "Make sure to send me an owl sometime over the holidays, okay?"

Lily rolled her eyes. She would have loved to have replied with something along the lines of 'In your dreams.", however, with her mother stood next to her, she didn't want to sound too rude. "Er... Yeah okay. See you next term, James,"

"Bye!" He beamed, and blew her a kiss jokingly, winking at her.

"Ooh, who was that?" Mrs. Evans laughed.

"That was James Potter."

"Oh, he seems nice."

"He, er, he's okay, but he's a bit arrogant sometimes." Lily told her Mother, to which she ignored.

"You make sure you're keeping an eye on her!" She said jokingly to Severus. Before he had time to reply, she cut him off with "Okay, you two go first, I'll follow."

Severus and Lily positioned their trolleys, and with one last look back into the magical world, they ran headlong into through the magical barrier.

"Ah! Lily! And Severus, what a nice surprise." Greeted Lily's father, with a grin. "How are you, son? I haven't spoken to you in ages."

"Excuse me, I am your daughter." Lily interupted, looking afronted.

Mr. Evans laughed. "Sorry, Lily. Good term?"

"Not bad." She told him. Severus let his gaze wander. As Lily continued to tell her Father of how school had been. Stood behind her father stood Petunia, looking particularly sulky. Severus sneered at her for good measure, and she glared back at him.

"So, ready to go?" Asked Mrs. Evans.

"I'd say so." Assessed her husband, and the Evans' turned to leave.

"Hold on a sec!" Lily called to them. She turned and threw her arms around Severus' neck. Caught off guard, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her back, lightly. "I'll write to you from on holiday, okay?" She said into his ear.

"Okay." He told her.

"I'm sorry about having to go away, we can hang out lots when I get back, yeah?"

"Yes." Over his shoulder, he caught sight of his Father, who sneered the infamous Snape sneer back at him. He pulled away slightly and gave her that weak smile he did, which Lily always thought looked like someone who had just been crying. Of course, she had never seen Severus cry throughout the entire time she had known him. She smiled back at him, and he told her "I'll see you in two weeks then."

"See you then." And with that, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran back to her family.

Severus brought his hand up and lightly touched his cheek where she had kissed him, before remembering his father was watching him and instantly bought the stray hand down to his side, turning towards him.

"A real catch you've made there, little sister." Petunia shot at her when her parents couldn't hear. "Really handsome, I can see why you'd go for him, he seems your type."

"Shut up." She hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

Severus' Father continued to sneer at him. "Aww." He mocked, coldly. "How stiring." Severus ignored him. "Who was that then, got yourself a girlfriend?"

"No." Severus mumbled.

"What a surprise." His Father shot back. "Learned to pull a rabbit out of a hat yet?"

Severus considered. "Yes, actually."

His Father roled his eyes before turning to leave and gesturing for Severus to follow. "Unnatural." He remarked.


End file.
